Cookie Time

Scott’s Bakery in Middleton sells a Spanish peanut cookie that has become a favorite of JoAnna’s and mine. It’s not always available, unfortunately. In fact, it’s the only one of their more than dozen varieties that seems to get this “special occasion” treatment. The thing is, though, we can’t figure out what the special occasions are. The one time I asked, a clerk told me, “We only make that cookie at Christmastime.”

I knew this was a wrong answer – but I didn’t argue with her.

Now that I’ve vowed to avoid store-bought sweets, I needed to locate my own version of the Spanish peanut cookie. Once again, I searched the Internet and found a variety of options. I chose a recipe based on the following criteria:

1. Easy, straightforward instructions

2. Logical combination of ingredients (i.e., nothing requiring 2 sticks of butter, a la the disastrous Ina Garten jalapeno cornbread recipe)

At first I was going to eliminate the frosting but had a change of heart, probably because the batter seemed overly dry and crumbly. At first, I thought I might have back-to-back flops on my hands, but the results proved very satisfying, even though it’s not an exact copy – not even close, actually – of the Scott’s Bakery variety. The cookie has a crunchy/chewy texture, similar to a granola bar, that goes great with a glass of milk or just on its own as a snack to ward off hunger pains.

Here’s the recipe for Spanish Peanut Cookies

Cookie ingredients

1½ cups flour

1½ t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1 c. brown sugar, firmly packed

1 c. unsalted butter, softened

1 egg

1 c. rolled oats

1 c. flaked coconut

1 c. salted peanuts

½ c. Corn Flakes, finely crushed

Icing ingredients

2 T. unsalted butter

1 c. confectioner’s sugar

1 T. hot water (2-3 is what you’ll probably need)

1 t. fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda; set aside.

2. Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and beat well.

3. Add all dry ingredients, blending after each addition.

4. Drop by rounded teaspoons on ungreased cookie sheet.

5. Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes.

Icing: Melt butter. Mix in confection sugar, hot water, and fresh lemon juice. Beat until smooth and drizzle over cooled cookies. (Add additional hot water if mixture is too dry.)

“You should add chocolate chips the next time,” JoAnna suggested.

And I will!